narration

American  

[na-rey-shuhn] / næˈreɪ ʃən /

noun

1. something narrated; an account, story, or narrative.

2. the act or process of narrating.

3. a recital of events, especially in chronological order, as the story narrated in a poem or the exposition in a drama.

4. Rhetoric. (in classical speech) the third part, the exposition of the question.

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narration British  

/ nəˈreɪʃən /

noun

1. the act or process of narrating

2. a narrated account or story; narrative

3. (in traditional rhetoric) the third step in making a speech, the putting forward of the question

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narration Cultural  

1. The recounting of an event or series of events; the act of telling a story.

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Other Word Forms

• narrational adjective
• nonnarration noun

Etymology

Origin of narration

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Latin narrātiōn-, stem of narrātiō “narrative, story”; equivalent to narrate + -ion

Explanation

Narration is the act of telling a story, usually in some kind of chronological order. Making up a scary ghost story and relating it around a camp fire is an act of narration. Narration generally means any kind of explaining or telling of something. It is usually used in reference to storytelling. If you've ever watched a television show where one character's voice talks directly to the audience, then you've heard narration. You will often find narration happening in songs where the singer is telling the story of how something happened — like the day he lost his guitar, his truck, his wife, and started singing the blues.

Example Sentences

He’s somewhat delighted by the Norman Rockwell-esque scene he walks into, detailing his surroundings in extensive voicemails to his estranged wife that serve as a narration.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 17, 2026

Instead of narration, unobtrusive captions appeared on screen with price, provenance or other details about various market items, leaving room for the ambient sounds to come to the fore.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 4, 2026

Buddhist spiritual leader the Dalai Lama said Monday he was grateful for his first Grammy, after bagging the top music industry award for audio book, narration and storytelling.

From Barron's • Feb. 2, 2026

This statement, spoken through mechanical narration that makes it all the more barbaric, made my heart sink and my teeth grit.

From Salon • Feb. 1, 2026

In narration mode, Nixon concedes that the fund exists: “I, Senator Nixon, took $18,000 from a group of my supporters.”

From "Words Like Loaded Pistols" by Sam Leith

Related Words

• anecdote
• narrative
• tale
• voice-over